Falling for my Enemy's Brother-Chapter 57: Ride of Lies

’We will never be friends.’

And she was right. But she was also wrong, because if he weren’t a Lesnar, she wouldn’t just be his friend. She would’ve been his, in every way.

She wanted him. Tonight, he saw it clearer than ever. Beneath her harsh words and guarded stare, she needed him just as much as he needed her.

That wasn’t in his head. It was real. Raw.

But he couldn’t act on it. Not only because of pride. Not because of doubt.

He wanted her—desperately.

But he couldn’t have her.

Not when her name was tied to a past his family was still trying to forget. Conor’s past with Marjorie Sanchez was already enough. Craig didn’t need to add to it.

He remembered how openly Conor had flirted with her mother. He was loud, reckless, and shameless. Craig didn’t know how much Merlina knew about that. Maybe she knew everything. Maybe she didn’t.

But it didn’t matter.

He cared about her. Deeply. And the more he tried to push it down, the louder it got. But if he let himself act on it, it wouldn’t end with just them. It would unravel everything—his family, his name, the fragile peace they barely held together.

Especially with his father.

The man who barely forgave Conor for what happened with Marjorie Sanchez. The man who saw any tie to the Sanchez name as a threat to their legacy. If Craig crossed that line, it wouldn’t just be scandal. It would be an implosion.

"Earth to Craig?"

Phoebe’s voice cut through the silence.

He blinked, his eyes adjusting to the soft glow of the dashboard. He hadn’t realized he’d been staring out the window that long, seeing nothing but his thoughts replaying over and over again.

"Hmm?" he mumbled.

"You’ve been quiet since we left Barsea. You good?" Phoebe asked, fingers tapping on the armrest.

Craig sat in the back seat, one leg extended with quiet ease, the other tapping faintly with a restlessness he couldn’t quite contain.

Keith was driving, calm as ever, eyes fixed on the road. Phoebe sat in the front passenger seat but kept twisting around, leaning back over the console to look at Craig.

It felt invasive.

Not just her eyes, but the way she was studying him, like she could see the mess behind his silence. He shifted slightly, uncomfortable under her gaze, like she was peeling back the layers he worked hard to keep hidden.

Craig gave a slow nod. "Yeah. Just tired."

She tilted her head, unconvinced. "You look like you’re unraveling. Want to talk about it?"

He shook his head, jaw tight. "There’s nothing to talk about."

"Right," she said with a soft scoff, leaning back a little farther. "Because the ice-cold brooding and the staring contest with Merlina at the table was totally casual."

And just like that, Phoebe dropped her name, the name that is stirring steady chaos in his mind.

Craig didn’t respond, but his shoulders tensed. He hadn’t realized how hard he’d been clenching his fists until his knuckles ached.

"I’m not blind, Craig. And neither is anyone else. You think people didn’t notice how weird you were acting all night?"

"You’re seeing things," he muttered under his breath, eyes still locked on the window.

Phoebe rolled her eyes and turned to Keith. "Say something."

Keith winced like he didn’t want to be dragged in, but offered carefully, "He was weird."

Craig shot him a glare through the rearview mirror. Keith gave a small shrug.

Phoebe’s voice softened. "Look, I get it. She’s... complicated. But if you keep looking at her like that and pretending it means nothing, you’re gonna explode."

Craig snapped, finally leaning forward slightly. "What are you on about?" He looked to Keith, who clearly wanted no part of the conversation. "What is she talking about?"

Keith glanced at Phoebe, then back at the road. "Phoebe thinks you’re into Merlina."

Craig hated how easily Keith blurted it out like it was just a careless remark, when to Craig it felt like the most vulnerable truth he’d been desperately trying to bury. He clenched his jaw, fists tightening in his lap.

"We actually think so," Keith added reluctantly.

Craig didn’t answer immediately. He leaned back against the seat, eyes drifting to the car’s ceiling as a quiet ache settled in his chest, wondering just how deeply he’d let himself show, how clear his feelings had become, even when he tried so hard to hide them.

Keith glanced at him through the rearview. "So... are you?"

Craig’s gaze flicked between them. His frustration was rising now, hot in his chest. "Are you crazy?" he said, locking eyes with Keith.

He couldn’t believe Keith was asking him that question, especially in front of Phoebe, of all people. Merlina’s roommate.

"Sorry," Keith muttered, hands tightening on the wheel.

Phoebe didn’t back down. "Okay, so why you acting all extra with her? Offering her a ride, giving her your car, following her to the restroom? Explain yourself."

"I don’t owe you an explanation," Craig said sharply. "But since you’re slow, let me make it clear. Merlina thinks my brother had something to do with her mother’s death. The least I can do is be decent to her."

He paused, his tone clipped and cold. "There’s nothing there. So get that stupid idea out of your head."

His words came fast, firm. Enough to make Phoebe slowly turn back around, folding her arms across her chest and staring straight ahead.

She didn’t look back again.

The car returned to silence, save for the low hum of tires on pavement.

But in the back seat, Craig leaned his head against the window, eyes half-lidded, wishing desperately that Keith and Phoebe had been wrong.

Wishing they hadn’t seen through him, that this wasn’t written all over his face.

But it was.

Because every part of him ached for her.

Not just physically, not just in fleeting moments like tonight—he wanted her in ways he couldn’t explain. In ways that scared him. And if he let himself admit it, even for a second, he knew there’d be no turning back.

He liked her in ways that were bound to ruin him.

And it was getting harder to pretend otherwise.

Harder to keep the distance when every space between them felt like a scar. One glance from her, and he found himself slipping. One single word spoken softer, and he was hers all over again.

He didn’t know how long he could keep up this restraint. Especially if she kept looking at him the way she did tonight.

Like she already knew.